Magicians apprentice
A magicians apprentice was a child or teenager in training to become a magician. Milestones Becoming an apprentice magician Parents of very young children were offered money by the government to give up their child to become a magician's apprentice. These children were then never allowed to see their families again, it was hoped that they would in time forget all details of the first years of the lives before they were apprentices including their birth name which they were forbidden from continuing to use as it being public knowledge could become a threat to them when they were older. The children were then assigned to a master (it appears it was compulsory for a magician to take an apprentice if they were chosen to do so) they would become part of this magicians household, who was then responsible for their upbringing. The importance of the age of twelve At the age of twelve, they received their first pair of contact lenses to allow them to see spirits and chose a name to act as a replacement for the one they gave up as a small child. Becoming a fully-fledged magician At some point in their teenage years, when their master thought they were ready, they would enter employment (e.g. in a government department) to gain experience before moving out of their masters home and joining the ruling class of magicians in their own right. Education Taught by tutors, they received a far more advanced education in academic subjects than their commoner counterparts were given at school. They studied subjects such as mathematics, history and geography (often to a level which seemed very advanced for their age) as well as learning multiple languages. They were also expected to do large amounts of reading (in several different languages) outside of their lessons. Their schooling was designed to prepare them to become members of the magician ruling class where they would be politicians, businessmen, civil servants, generals, ext. They also studied some more creative subjects such as art and music but only for the purpose of helping them to summon spirits. As they got older, they spent an increasing amount of their time learning about spirits and magic of their master. Social life and Leisure time Apprentices appear to have been fairly isolated from other children being taught by tutors and brought up in households which only had one young member as magicians were forbidden to have children of there own. It is suggested, however, that apprentices sometimes received some education (E.g swimming lessons) with others of a similar age. Due to there intensive schooling, much of there leisure time was spent reading and studying. Master and apprentice relationship Masters in effect became substitute parents for there apprentices, responsible for the care and education of their students. They were obliged to take an apprentice when they were chosen to do so. They employed tutors to teach their apprentices most subjects whilst training their charges directly in areas relating to magic. Masters were free to discipline their apprentices in any way they felt fit including, it is implied, throwing them out of their homes for bad behaviour. Category:Magicians Category:Human Category:Children and young people